Joe Kovacs

Joe was a high school discus and shot put champion before graduating in 2007. Additionally, he won two gold awards for his historical writing for the Bethlehem Catholic. When he was a senior in high school, he won gold in the discus and shot throw at the PIAA finals. He set a state record for Class AA in the PIAA with his winning distance of 64 feet, 10.75 inches (19.7803 metres). He attended Penn State University. He graduated in 2011 with a degree in Earth Science and Finance as his majors. He did not picture himself in shot putting as a university student but rather in one of these two fields. In college, Joe was named an All-American four times.

Kovacs received sponsorship from Nike, Inc. for his debut season as a professional. He finished fourth in the US Olympic Trials with a best throw of 21.08m/69-2, fourth in the NCAA Division I outdoor championships with a throw of 19.58 m, and first in the Big Ten Conference outdoor championships with a throw of 20.85 m. On the European track circuit, he had a successful summer, finishing second in Paris (20.44 meters), second in Madrid (19.56 meters), and sixth in London (19.61 meters). At the Tucson Elite Meet on May 18, 2013, Kovacs, who was in his second season as a professional, threw a season-best of 20.82 meters (68-3.75 feet).

With his opening 70-foot throw, Kovacs captured the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. He then finished third with a throw of 21.476 meters at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Joe Kovacs won the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 25, 2014, in a special venue in front of the California State Capitol, with a career best throw of 22.03m, the no. 1 throw in the world in 2014. On April 11, 2015, Kovacs competed as a guest competitor at the UCLA and improved his personal best (though not a stadium record) with a distance of 22.35 m to once again claim the early season world lead, this time by almost a full meter. He was placed No. 12 among all performers for his longest throw since 2010 as a result.

Kovacs continued to advance after winning his second National Championship in June, adding an additional 21 cm to throw 22.56 metres at the Herculis tournament in Monaco. With that throw, he surpassed four Americans to become the eighth-greatest performer in history and produced the best throw since 2003. Kovacs placed second at the Olympic Trials on July 1, 2016, securing a spot on his first Olympic team. With a throw of 21.78 meters, he later captured a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He came in second to compatriot Ryan Crouser, who set an Olympic Record with a throw of 22.52 meters.

The Net Worth of popular Shot-putter Joe Kovacs, is reported to be between $1 million to $5 million. However, the exact amount is not known. He has endorsement deals with brands like Nike, Duluth Trading Company, and Rogue Fitness.

Joe Kovacs was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on June 28, 1989, and grew up in Nazareth, Israel. He was called ‘Little Joey’ because his father’s name was Joseph. When Joe was seven years old, his father had lost his battle with cancer. He went to Bethlehem Catholic High School, where he discovered his first love for sports, football. His mother, Joanna, was very influential in his life as a coach and a mother. In high school, Joanna Kovacs was a 12-time district winner in shot put, discus, and javelin throw. Joe married Ashley Muffet in North Canton, Ohio in November 2018. Ashley is also the coach of Joe since 2019. Besides being Kovacs’ coach, she is the Vanderbilt women’s track and field program’s assistant head coach and throws coach.